[media-credit name=’UW Athletic Communications’ align=’alignnone’ width=’648′][/media-credit]The Wisconsin women’s 400-yard freestyle relay team features a highly decorated cast of swimmers. Carly Piper, Sarah Hernandez, Anna Trinidad and Susan Johnson have combined for two first-team and two second-team all-conference selections this year. All four have garnered All-American honors in their respective careers, and Piper has won an Olympic gold medal.

“They’ve been great,” head coach Eric Hansen said. “I’m just enjoying having them around right now.”

The women’s swim team is having one of their top years in program history. The Badgers are currently ranked No. 8 heading into the final tournament of the year, the NCAA Championships. The members of the 400-yard freestyle relay are having notable individual seasons and have proven themselves central to the success of the team.

“This year is probably my best so far,” Trinidad said.

Trinidad — a junior from Colorado Springs, Colo., — is concentrating primarily on the team’s times rather than place. She is simply looking for placing similar to last year’s finish.

“Last year I think [the relay team] got seventh, so top eight would be great,” Trinidad said.

Hernandez is also part of a strong junior class of swimmers for the Badgers. Like Trinidad, she garnered a second team all-conference selection this year.

“Our junior class is a really solid, deep class,” Hansen said. “I look to all those girls to take us to another level next year.”

Piper, who secured Big Ten swimmer of the year for the second straight season this year, is about to complete a highly successful collegiate career. The list of her accomplishments span from multiple school records to a spot on the 800-meter freestyle relay team that set a world record in Athens during the 2004 Olympic games. With her final collegiate meet just two days in front of her, Piper’s future in swimming is up in the air.

“Hopefully I’ll keep swimming,” Piper said of her future. “It’s still fun. I might as well keep enjoying myself.”

Sophomore Susan Johnson is the youngest member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team and an emerging star. Last year she was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and this season she earned a first team all-conference selection. Johnson is looking to step up next year and assume more of a leadership role.

“Being an upperclassman next year is going to be a totally different thing for me,” Johnson said. “I think I’ll have something more to bring to the team next year.”

With the upcoming NCAA Championships looming, the Badgers are taking it easier in practice. Hansen has been pushing the team hard all year and now is allowing them to relax slightly so they are refreshed for the final week of competition.

“This is probably the easiest two weeks of the year for them,” Hansen said. “They’ll get a few mornings off. It’s more or less just resting for your body to go into super compensation. The body not only repairs itself, it gets better than what it was. That’s the whole training principle that we function under.”

The team’s goals for the national meet are within reach. Wisconsin is hoping to close out its season as the class of the conference and are confident heading into nationals.

“Our goal is and always will be too be the best Big Ten School at the NCAA championships,” Hansen said. “We fully expect for that to happen.”

Wisconsin is also looking to improve its current standing in national polls.

“We’re eighth right now,” Hansen said. “The best we’ve ever been is 10th so we’ll take anything above 10.”

The 400-yard relay team will return three members next year, as only Piper graduates. With Johnson, Hernandez and Trinidad all returning, the future of the relay team and Hansen’s squad as a whole remains bright.

“I think the future looks real bright for what we can do,” Hansen said. “We plan on finishing in the top 10 for years to come. At some point we would like to position ourselves to break into the top five, top four and eventually win it. It’s just a matter of when.”